SANTA'S WISH LIST....2026 version

[Ralph Damren]

Their stance - and I agree with it - is the NFHS Board of Directors needs to give their final approval. More than once I've seen an equipment restriction be adjusted to advance the requirement date to reduce the financial burden of the schools replacing now illegal items or suppliers having shelves of unsaleable equipment.   

[bama_stripes]

I’m really hopeful that there will be only one or two that impact on-field play.  My old brain can’t handle too many at the same time.

FWIW, the baseball change this year was to limit the number of times defensive players can meet with each other to one per inning (a speed-up rule).  Double first base will be required next year (a safety rule).

[Ralph Damren]

I’m really hopeful that there will be only one or two that impact on-field play.  My old brain can’t handle too many at the same time.

FWIW, the baseball change this year was to limit the number of times defensive players can meet with each other to one per inning (a speed-up rule).  Double first base will be required next year (a safety rule).

You're in luck, 'Bama, with your wish  . Snow is still on the ground here in Maine so it'll be a while before I can yell : "PLAY BALL". This will be my 60th and last season behind the mask and plan to lobby for the base ump to track the defensive players' meetings.  I assume that will often be pitcher and catcher, while it COULD be leftfielder and firstbaseman  .   

[Ralph Damren]

THE NEW RULES ARE HERE...LETS CHAT 

[BTP]

Re a point of emphasis:

Has any official at any level aided his or her career by calling helping the runner, even correctly?

[bossman72]

Well that was anticlimactic...

[Snapper]

Well that was anticlimactic...

[bama_stripes]

I’m surprised that they didn’t drop the sweat bands restriction along with allowing play cards on the belt.

Ralph, was there much discussion about full-yardage penalty for DPI?

[Ralph Damren]

Re a point of emphasis:

Has any official at any level aided his or her career by calling helping the runner, even correctly?

I have a call in to NFHS to learn the aim of the POE on helping the runner and relay it to you guys as soon as I hear. Our current stance in Maine is not to flag the "tush-push" , but to blow it dead with the rationale that the runner's own forward progress has stopped when his teammates begins to push. Our coaches fully understand and don't coach that. 

[Ralph Damren]

I’m surprised that they didn’t drop the sweat bands restriction along with allowing play cards on the belt.

Ralph, was there much discussion about full-yardage penalty for DPI?

The "sweatband anywhere" proposal made it to the floor for a vote, but failed 28-23 (we need 2/3 to pass = 34). The full yardage penalty failed to come out of it's sub- committee. The proposal was for all fouls and not just DPI.

[ncwingman]

Re a point of emphasis:

Has any official at any level aided his or her career by calling helping the runner, even correctly?

I have called that exactly once.

Middle school game, which means players are at various point of puberty and wildly disparate sizes. Goal line play on the 1, offense calls a QB sneak instead of their usual play of "Hand to the 6' tall running back who is clearly larger than the entire defense combined". 6' tall running back, behind the QB figures he has to do something to help, so he *picks up the QB* and carries him forward through the pile.

Now, did that help my career by calling that? No, that's unlikely.

[Ralph Damren]

Response from NFHS on HTR POE. The intent is to remind that the 'tush push' isn't allowable in NFHS. If it occurs in a NFHS game, the play should be blown dead as THE RUNNER'S FORWARD PROGRESS has stopped.

While some may be disappointed with the few changes, an 80 year- old member stated : " Rules meetings are like going to the docter's. If there's a lot wrong, you hear : ' Youi need to lose weight, eat better, get more excerise...etc. ' . If there's little or nothing wrong, you may hear : ' Try parting your hair differently  '. There seems to not be alot wrong with our game as is. If 'taint broke ,don't fix 'er. Ayuh, 'spect so. "

[lawdog]

Well that was anticlimactic...

That's not a bad thing Boss

[KWH]

That's not a bad thing Boss

Oh my, I actually with Law Dog

[ncwingman]

Well that was anticlimactic...

I am anticipating the follow up questions in local/regional clinics from the guys who never seem to grasp a rule change, no matter how straightforward.

"So, nobody on the defense can slap a guy in the head?" Nope, nor the offense

"So, the new rule is just the offense? The defense can do it now?" No, nobody can

"But they changed the rule, right?" Yes, so now nobody can

"Nobody on the offense?" Or the defense too!

[Expletive laden 20 minute rant about the free blocking zone deleted]

"What if he slaps in the shoulder, does that count?" *sigh*

[Ralph Damren]

OFF THE FIELD....

A cheerleader can stil slap big ole' Bubba's head/face if he becomes  too frisky  .

[bama_stripes]

OFF THE FIELD....

A cheerleader can stil slap big ole' Bubba's head/face if he becomes  too frisky  .

Nowadays, it’s just as likely that the cheerleader is the one being “too frisky”!

[bossman72]

So I have an actual question for this change...

Does this foul encompass "hands to the face" fouls?  If a blocker or defender pins his opponents head back for a prolonged period of time, is that 15 yards under this foul?

[SCHSref]

Re a point of emphasis:

Has any official at any level aided his or her career by calling helping the runner, even correctly?

Called it twice last season. Guy was pulling their team's runner forward

[theride]

The getting rid of half the distance penalty had support for most of the day, but the provision of possibly having a penalty at the end of regulation on a try that would lead to overtime could possibly have a team starting the overtime session on the 1 yard line, which the subcommittee did not support. At one point, this proposal at subcommittee support by a large margin. This proposal will probably return in the future after a couple of edits.

[GoodScout]

As someone who usually abhors excessive rule changes, I'm thrilled.